At least the British patrols appear to have local translators and therefore are able to communicate with the locals in their language.

On this point, the BBC on Friday interviewed military analyst Gwynne Dyer (author of the interesting "War" book/TV series years back) and he noted that British commanders had recently declined/refused to come north and join US forces around Baghdad/Faluja. He didn't say much more than this, but that could explain *part* of the absence of recent British casualties.

BBC also noted US Army officer/spokesman noting that, in the current anti-Baath operations around Faluja, (my best-effort paraphrase here) "all persons are being treated as hostile".

So, it sounds like the plan to turn Faluja street gangs into a summer youth basketball league are on hold.